A New Dawn
by JLovesJells
Summary: Seven years after Ben awakes from suspended animation, things are very different and the townspeople try to pick up the pieces of what remains of their lives. Even though he is no longer in power, Jason's actions are still felt among them as one life in particular is on the line.
1. Chapter 1

**A New Dawn**

 _Chapter One_

 _AN: The characters do not belong to me. I hope you enjoy my story._

Twenty-five-old Wayward Pines sheriff Ben Burke tossed and turned, deep into another nightmare regarding the death of his predecessor seven years earlier. It was bizarre that he dreamed of it at all, since he'd been in suspended animation when it had taken place. But the subconscious mind is a powerful thing that often uses nonsense to communicate in mysterious ways.

 _Once again, Jason stood before him in the darkness of the underground facility where David Pilcher had assembled supplies for The First Generation. He was aiming his rifle at someone or something in a corner in which Ben could not see._

 _"Drop it, Jason." His voice was eerily calm as he raised his own gun in an attempt to aim directly at Jason's head._

 _"In your dreams, loser. Who are you to order me around? You're just a reprobate like your old man. A saboteur." Jason sneered at Ben but did not turn from his unseen target._

 _"I'll take that as a compliment," Ben replied. "If I had one wish, it'd be to grow up to be just like him."_

 _"I don't know why we didn't kill you when your old man bit it. But no one's here, Burke. I can take care of that easily."_

 _Jason turned in the direction of footsteps sounding on the stairs. Ben watched as if in slow motion as Jason looked back at his original target, fired three shots in rapid succession before his head burst open in a mixture of blood and brain matter. Ben gasped and glanced at the gun in his hand. Whomever was on the stairs must have fired the shot because he'd hardly had time to react. He hung his head in shame imagining what his father would say were he alive to witness his son fail to take out someone threatening his own life._

 _Ben's contemplation didn't last long, though, as the feet on the stairs became louder and another figure entered the room. It was Pam Pilcher, the nurse and sister of David, carrying a gun with smoke still curling out of its barrel._

 _"Ben! Thankfully you're all right! Help me get her to safety," she said._

 _Without thinking twice, Ben followed Pam into the darkened corner, where Amy lay with three bullet wounds in her chest._

 _"Ben!" She was breathless as she tried to speak. "Whatever he said, don't believe it. I only loved you. Not him. Ever."_

 _He stooped down and cradled Amy in his arms, looking helplessly up at the nurse._

Then he sat bolt upright in bed, sweat pouring from every part of his body. His heart was hammering, making his vision blur until he looked to his right and saw the sleeping form of his wife, a small grin on her face as she traveled through much more pleasant dreams things of her own.

Ben recited the facts as he always did following a nightmare. He was 25 years old, the current sheriff of Wayward Pines, married to Amy Breslow. She was never shot by Jason or anyone. She'd broken his heart by pretending to be in love with Jason to spare Ben's life. The only truth to the dream was that Jason had been killed shortly after Ben awoke from suspended animation. He could still feel the chills of his first walk down the street, seeing Jason parading around as sheriff, ice cream cone in hand. Dead bodies hung from lampposts as a deterrent against trying to leave. But in a few short months a resistance had sprung up and things had eventually changed for the better. Ben himself had started it, knowing that it was what his father would have wanted.

Trying to not disturb Amy in her slumber, Ben tiptoed out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. He took a glass from one of the cabinets and filled it with water. Ben opened one of the drawers on the kitchen cabinets and took a file out of its hiding place and read it for the thousandth time. Jason had been killed when the suspension of the adults was almost complete, except for a few stragglers who had managed to elude Jason, like Pam and Kate Ballinger. Ben no longer stiffened at the mention or thought of Kate, despite her affair with his father that had nearly torn his parents apart from one another. His mother and Kate had begun to get along as things reached fever pitch in the last days of his father's tenure as sheriff as David Pilcher let the abbies to destroy Wayward Pines. In the days since Kate's tragic shooting, Theresa spoke of her as a true friend.

Ben shed a silent tear of thankfulness as he thought about the changes made in the last year. After seven long years, he finally saw his mother again when his administration had ordered the unfreezing of the adults. If he was to be an effective sheriff, he knew he couldn't do it without those who had come before him. It was a poor substitute for his father, but the moment in which Ben wrapped his arms around Theresa was the best day of his life since Jason's takeover.

It was four in the morning, but he knew that his mother was undoubtedly up, paving and internalizing her worries for the day ahead. He dialed her number and she answered on the first ring.

"Mom, I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Can't sleep either, honey?" Theresa's voice was warm yet fraught with worry. "I keep thinking about Kate. She has to be all right."

"Nurse Pam said she's unthawed one of the finest surgeons," Ben reassured her. It felt like this day would never come, undoing more of Jason's damage. He shuddered as images of his nightmare filled his mind again.

"I know." Theresa was silent for a moment. "Are you still having nightmares?"

"Yes," Ben admitted. "It's like what Jason did to Kate, only this time it's Amy. Which is bizarre because I wasn't even awake when he shot Kate."

"Neither was I," Theresa added.

"I think we've heard about it so much that it feels like we were there." Ben sighed. Jason always had wanted to kill Kate since he found out that she had led the first resistance. If not interrupted that day in the jail, he would have murdered her alongside her husband, Harold. Why would he have kept her alive? "Well, I wish her the best tomorrow."

"Me too, honey, me too. Now go and get some sleep."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, honey."

They hung up and Ben tiptoed back into the bedroom where Amy was still fast asleep. He was grateful that she was able to get her much needed rest as she'd be part of the team working on Kate's unprecedented procedure. It made Ben's mind boggle to think of it; tomorrow the medical team would come as close as anyone had ever approached to basically restoring the life of the dead.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

AN: I don't own the characters. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

In her home in the compound, Pam awakened at dawn, nerves and excitement running through her body. Today was the day. The finest surgeon she and her brother had lured into suspension was thawed and more than willing to work on a top secret mission. Today a life would be saved, ending the stigma of and guilt regarding all those that were stolen.

It will be worth all the research if it works, Pam told her reflection as she arranged her hair in the mirror. Please let it work.

 _Scenes of that fateful day flashed through Pam's mind. Jason has given the order to suspend all of the adults, but a few such as Pam and Kate has managed to elude Jason and his posse._

 _"Let's go to the arc," Kate suggested as the pair peered out from the windows of the hospital. "It's the last place he'll look. Then we can enact our plan and get things back on track."_

 _"I wish we could get back to the compound," Pam said. "We'd be safer once we arrived, but getting through town without being caught is too risky."_

 _"Plus he's got to have a team assembled to suspend everyone," Kate added._

 _They made their way across the street and into the arc, thinking they had reached safety. Hiding in a lower level storeroom, Pam readied her gun._

 _"You're armed?" Kate seemed surprised. "Please tell me you brought a spare piece."_

 _"I'm sorry, dear, I was fortunate to get my hands on this one," Pam was apologetic._

 _A noise rustled behind them and both women froze._

 _Neither one said a word as Jason revealed himself from behind a stack of water containers._

 _"You've nowhere to go, traitor," he spat the words at Kate._

 _In the blink of an eye, he fired his pistol three times before Pam was able to return fire, her bullet finding its target in his forehead. Stepping over his body, Pam did the only thing she knew to do. She turned them both into the suspension team. Kate's body would not require blood in the suspended state, and if they were woken up again, her wounds could be addressed._

Pam wiped away a tear that she didn't realize had fallen as she replayed the events again. "I'm sorry, Kate. I hope that today we can make it up to you." She pictured Kate's broken body inside the suspension chamber. When Pam had placed her inside seven years ago, everything had seemed to progress normally. The procedure drained all of the body's blood, so the bleeding from Jason's bullets wouldn't matter once it was complete. Some of David's studies had actually shown regeneration within the process, causing them to have to reinjure everyone who would be awakened under the premise that they'd been involved in a car accident. Pam felt ashamed of such lies now but hoped the phenomenon of healing had worked in Kate's favor.

It was only a short walk from Pam's chamber to the suspension area. The doctor, a man by the name of Cole, was waiting.

"We'll continue the suspension drugs in the operating room," Cole said. "I don't want to introduce any blood until the wounds are repaired. We can transfuse her along the way."

Suddenly Pam felt nervous as she prepared to open the suspension unit. Would her friend truly be a candidate for the surgery? Had she truly done everything right seven years ago? Jason was chasing her and she didn't exactly have the time to take all of the precautions and double checks as she and David usually performed.

"I haven't seen you for seven years," Pam said as she approached the chamber holding Kate. She tried to stop trembling because she didn't want Cole to see how nervous she was, but instead projected the image of a confident nurse.

Kate's face was the picture of serenity as the material was lowered and she became visible. No one would guess from her appearance of serenity that her last lucid moments were unbelievably painful and nearly fatal. Pam exhaled and helped the doctor load her friend onto the gurney to take her to the operating room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

AN: the characters do not belong to me.

At first there had been the searing pain of the bullets, but then the darkness followed, a total loss of vision and sensation. The next thing Kate knew, she was watching a brilliant sunrise over Seattle.

She turned around in confusion. It couldn't be. Had it all been a crazy dream? What year was it? People were walking past her as she stood on the pier, not appearing to notice her. A man carrying a newspaper neared her and Kate stepped into his line of vision.

"Excuse me!" She tried to get his attention. "I know this will sound totally ridiculous, but can I borrow your newspaper? I just need to see today's date."

The man didn't even look up or act as though he heard her. Kate frowned, thinking it odd. Several other people came close enough to be able to hear her, but they, too, ignored her pleas.

"They can't hear you," a familiar voice said.

Kaye spun around to see Ethan Burke standing before her. Startled, she backed up until she was practically leaning on the rails at the edge of the water.

"Ethan… you're not real. I saw you die when the elevator shaft exploded. This must be a dream."

The FBI agent shook his head. "Not a dream, Kate. I'm sorry."

The appearance of a second man convinced her that something was terribly wrong. It was Harold. He didn't even have the chance to speak before she burst into tears. He put his arms around her and drew her into a comforting embrace.

"Kate, I didn't think I'd see you so soon," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Jason shot me," she said flatly. "He killed me in that warehouse." She stared at the water. "Is this where you two have been since you were killed? Seattle?"

Ethan nodded. "It's what we longed for while we were unable to leave."

It all seemed so bizarre that she laughed. "Seattle. Well, I can't say I haven't missed it. Remember, Harold? During our first resistance meeting?"

"I do. So you're not happy to be here?"

She considered it. "Actually, I think I am." Then she stopped short. "Why aren't you with your fiancée? I know you wanted to go back to her all of those years."

"I did," Harold said with a smile. "But right now I'm here for you. You're going to be here for a long time."

"Forever, right?" Kate asked. "I mean, aren't I… dead?"

"Not quite," Ethan said. "You're in suspension until my son succeeds in overthrowing the others and someone finds out how to treat your wounds. Suspended animation buys you time, and it looks like you're really going to need it."

At first she didn't know what to think, but as the men escorted Kate around Seattle, she soon found herself absorbed in the details of the life she'd missed for twelve long years. The other place felt like a dream or the plot of a book she had once read. Seattle was one long now, and the past disappeared until one day when everything began to change.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

AN: the characters do not belong to me.

Pam and Amy were fascinated by the new doctor and his truly bloodless surgery to repair the damage caused to Kate's body by the bullets.

"That was easier than I'd expected," he said once everything was finished and the patient remained in stable condition. "The preservation made it as if I was treating her mere minutes after the gunshot wounds, not seven years."

Amy's eyes glistened with tears. "She'll be okay? Can I tell Theresa?" She'd finally broken the habit of calling her Mrs. Burke now that she and Ben were married.

"Go ahead," the doctor said.

"Thank you, Doctor!" Amy turned to run off before looking back at Pam. "Aren't you coming?"

"No," Pam shook her head, "I'm staying with Kate until she wakes up. She might be confused and a familiar face will do her good."

She has no one left, Pam reflected. The two men she'd loved were both dead. She would be alone. Kind of like me, Pam thought. Though she didn't feel able to share it with anyone, Pam missed her brother David. Not the monster he'd become but the caring man who'd been determined to save everyone.

Kate groaned in her sleep. The skyline of Seattle had disappeared, Harold and Ethan vaporizing along with it. She could see no one with her now, but she gradually became aware of a hand on her shoulder and a gentle voice attempting to soothe her.

It was a woman, a voice Kate thought she ought to recognize.

"Kate? Can you hear me? I need you to open your eyes for me. You're going to be fine now."

Fine? How could she be fine? Jason and the barrel of his gun swam into focus in her mind as she recalled the expression in his eyes as he pulled the trigger. He'd hit her once in the chest, twice in the abdomen, propelling her body backwards into a wall with a sickening crack. Then everything faded to black and she was in Seattle with Harold and Ethan. They were both dead. Hadn't that meant she was dead, too? The familiar world of the city brought tears to her eyes. On one hand it was tempting to stay, to live in a world that she'd longed for over the last twelve years, at least the ones for which she'd been conscious. How long she slept was unknown.

She tried to move, to wiggle her toes and begin to sit up. The hand on her shoulder pressed down firmly.

"No, Kate. You're still recovering."

She tried to find her voice but none would come.

Once again the woman was one step ahead of her.

"Don't try to speak, dear. You just got out of surgery. We were able to fix everything but you're not fully awake yet. I know what that terrible boy did to you. I was there. That's why I shot him as soon as he shot you." She sighed. "If only I could have gotten to him before."

A quick exploration of her mouth with her tongue revealed the breathing tube still in place. She knew she'd have to wait to ask the questions that were in her mind.

"That's more like it," the voice encouraged her. "We are going to be friends, remember?"

A memory surfaced and Kate realized that the woman was Pam. They had agreed to cooperate before the takeover. What had gone so wrong?

"They're gone now, all of them who were loyal to the wrong side. We're in charge again and it's going to be just like we discussed. No lies. No control. No reckonings. That kid was stupid to think shooting you would actually kill you when we were headed to suspension. After I shot him, I put you in the chamber and put you to sleep right away. The wounds he inflicted were bleeding profusely, but our blood is drained in the chamber anyway. All we needed was to wait for the right time to bring you back and operate immediately. You really are going to be ok."

A tear slid from one of Kate's eyes. No one she had loved was left among the living. Not Ethan. Not Harold.

Pam gently wiped the tear away.

"I'm sorry about Harold, Kate. And Ethan. But you are among friends. Me, Theresa, Ben, Amy. We're all going to work together. I promise. You're not alone. The entire town is pulling for you. They'll be happy to hear you've come through the surgery."

Her eyes began to grow heavy and she slid back into sleep. It might not be Seattle or the life she had known, but it could be nice.


	5. Epilogue

_AN: The characters do not belong to me. Thank you to those who have followed and favorited this story. I've been working on more WP stories, so I hope you'll join me on their journeys as I post them! They have been part of two writing marathons I've taken part in this summer, so they need to be polished up so they're ready for you! Once again, thank you very much. XOXO, Sasha_

 **Epilogue**

As soon as Kate had healed, she and Pam worked with the others to create the kind of society that helped its residents rsther than harm them. The vision that had begun when Pam first showed the cryogenic pods to Kate was finally growing and coming to fruition. They served as advisers for Ben and the other younger residents who wished to continue a world much more like what they had known in their previous years. Pam was not through with her matchmaking schemes, as she set Kate and Dr. Samuel Cole up on a date at the Biergarten one night the following spring, which culminated in a July wedding. The residents of Wayward Pines started keeping calendars again, used clocks because knowing the hour mattered again for the first time in over 2000 years. Even Theresa found love again with Adam Hassler once he returned to the town after much exploration outside the wall. Living in the future with the attempt to sustain human life behind extinction was never easy, but they had one another and the promise that they would always live in freedom and dignity meant that they could face any challenge together.

 **The End**


End file.
